Discovering The FeriaThe magic of Seville could be compared with an elf, who seems being only felt in its tapas bar’s or in the extremely well know Maria Luisa‘s park. But these days seems to be dead. Their neighbors, those ones who are visiting the city, those ones who drive everyday ahead the Giralda or Torre de Oro… They’ve moved his hearts to the rhythm of a sevillana at the Real de la Feria, like if the city were moved its location for a few days.

The Feria de Sevilla (Fair of Seville) is special. Like every year, everything starts with the lighting up ceremony. It’s when thousands of bulbs of the entrance are turned on, and where millons of young people starts a continuous party during all the week. One year more, the lighting up show has been amazing. Specially for me, year by year, I feel more impressed. When I arrive to the fairground at the morning, I see a lot of people watching an unique show.

I arrive in a horse carriage, driven by a horseman dressed with a short suit, and one year more, I’m flamenca dressed, with a different dress than the typical spots dress. This time it is completely white, with a long tail endings decorated with a thing we call in Spanish, volantes. A typical dress from this city is very special, but it’s also a spanish image, a consolidated style. In fact, every time we travel abroad and a foreigner asks us Where are you from?, they always identify us with a flamenco dress and with the sevillanas.
Let’s continue with our particular walk thru the fair houses and enjoying the party. The singers, sevillanas, atractions… We can hear and see them. Young people are under the festival of colours from the dresses and the smells of the streets. Fish, tapas, manzanilla and a cup of fine wine to freshen up myself from the hot climate are my best wishes come true.
After all of these good times, let’s go to the bull’s show. Every evening bullfigths are celebrated, and a lot of people attend them to see the best bullfigthers play. Every year the show is repeated like if it were a cult: at five o’clock all the crowd are at Plaza de Toros de la Maestranza to see the bullfight, in which six bulls will fight. This time, Enrique Ponce, my favourite one, is going to play.
And the party continues at night, in special for the young people. That’s the magical time of the fair. It doesn’t take a rest. Every time it’s more colorful, it’s lighter and it’s funnier. Fine wine continoues being the most consumed beverage, as the typical food of Andalusia, both mixed with the sound of the spanish guitars, and everything is bewitched by the night. It won’t end until early morning arrives, when people starts to find a satisfying chocolate cup with churros. After that, it’s time to rest a few hours to continue the party the next morning.

And as the song says… Seville has a special colour, even more when we are on fair.

Even if it is a cliche’, you’ve never been to Barcelona if you’ve never walked through Las Ramblas…It’s the most typical, controversial and effervescent street in Barcelona. It works as an independent part of the city. Las Ramblas is two different worlds by day and at night, like all the metropolis in the world. Under the spring sun its essence blooms and its uniqueness shines.
Tourists are mixed with citizens; foreigners with residents; human statues with people who run with no awareness of the outstanding stage… That’s why once a year I try to rediscover the oddity of this multicultural artery from the eyes of a new arrived, like if I were watching this particular mix and match for the first time.
My first stop, and the stop I recommend to everyone, is the Mercat de la Boqueria. A mess of people – a jungle sometimes – but a real grocery paradise where if you buy or not, it’s just a mindless detail. The important fact is to enter and explore the place. Your soul and your mind will try to understand the dynamics of the biggest food market in Spain and one of the most crowded in Europe.
Unhurried, even though the surroundings bustle, you’ll find out a place where you can eat, smell, drink, touch, watch, learn and be amazed at the same time.
All kind of fruits, candies, meats, vegetables seem to coexist in total peace, order and harmony.
After the visual festival of colours, you can taste a piece of the market in the most emblematic bar of the entire city: the Pinotxo, a small and always crammed spot. Juanito (the owner and a local celebrity) will personally look after your hunger. The fight over a seat is normal because of the delicious plates you’re going to taste, and you may even share space with Ferran Adria’ or Juan Mari Arzak, two of the most powerful chefs in the whole world, old friends of Juanito.
For the goodies turn the corner, walk up to the south and stop at Escriba’. An historical patisserie, where in these days you can enjoy looking at the Monas de Pascua.
Chocolate sculptures only suitable for the real greedy ones.